Apparatus for making metal lath and similar materials.



J. C. TIMM. APPARATUS FOR MAKING METAL LATH AND SIMILAR MATERIALS.

APPLlCATlON FILED MAR. 3. 1916.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

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AFPARAIUS FOR MAKING M TH A APPLICATIO MAR LQGL3QUW ND SlMlLAR MATERIALS.

' Patented Apr.

2 SHEETS-SH //v VE/v 70/6 @606 o O ,E/ JZ /q NEYQS/ the plane of the sheet. The third manufacture of lath means hereinafter fully JOHN C. TIMM, OF GIRARD, 'OHIO.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING METAL LATH AND SIMILAR MATERIALS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 3, 1916. Serial No. 81,833.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN OQTIMM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Girard, county of Trumbull, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Making Metal Lath and Similar Materials, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

The present improvements, relating as-indicated' to apparatus for making expanded metal articles, have more particular regard to the manufacture of metal lath, which is now commonly made in a number of ma chines. In the present manufacture of this article a blank sheet is first placed in a press which cuts a series of notches or slits along the length of the sheet, which is then removed and placed in a second machine which grips the edges of the sheet and stretches it transversely, thus expanding the slit portions and making them lie at an angle to step in the of this type is performed in still another machine or else over rolls, and consists in the formation of one ormore ribs or grooves parallel to the series of slits.

In my improved apparatus I have provided a continuous mechanism for cutting the slits or notches, forming the ribs on either side of the same and simultaneously expanding the notched portions of" the sheet and in this way turning the strips at an angle to the plane of the sheets. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the described and particularly pointed out in the-claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanisin embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may housed.

n said annexed drawing Figure -1 is a. plan view of my improved apparatus constructed to make {metal lath;

I over the guides;

rolls for slittin tions.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section showing the first set of rolls but having the driving gears in elevation; Fig. 3 is an elevation of the second set of rolls; Fig. 4 is a simliar view of the expanding rolls; Fig. 5 is a view of the sheet after passage through the rolls of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a transverse section through sheet shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the lath after passing Fig. 8 'is a similar View of the lath after passing through the expanding rolls shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the first set of rolls; Fig. 10 is a plan view of the sheet after passage through therolls of Fig. 3.

In Fig. 1 I have shown the rolls 1, 2 and 3 disposed in pairs in parallel relation, the shafts of these rolls all bearing gears 4. and one of the shafts of each pair of rolls bearing also a beveled gear 5 driven by another beveled gear 6 on a main driving shaft 7. All of these rolls are of course operated at the same speed.

In Fig. 2 I have shown an elevation of the or notchi'ng the sheet and these rolls will e seen to consist of two sep arate rolls or gears 8 and 9 having oppositely inclined teeth 10, therolls being so disposed on the shafts that the teeth form, alternately, V-shaped notches and projec- The upper and lower rolls are engaged with each other, but the teeth of each do not enter the recesses in the other to their full depth, leaving a space in each recess equal to, or greater in depth than the thickness of the sheet that will be operated upon. While I have here shown two pairs of rolls 1', desired number of these may be disposed upon a single shaft and can form either V-shaped notches or W-shaped notches, or N-sha'ped notches, or a plurality of them, as may be desired.

The action of the rolls has been to cut a number of V-shaped strips in the sheet, these strips extending alternately to either side of the plane of such sheet. It is necessary to force an of these strips into parallelism on one side of the plane of the sheet in order that the various parts of the strips may lie parallel after the sheet has been expanded.

Patented Apr. 2, l1l8.

it will be understood that any be set up to The second pair of rolls 2 is shown in Fig. 3 and consists of a notched or V-shaped roll 12 and a tapered roll 13, engaging snugly within the V of the roll 12. The action of these two rolls is to force all of the strips into parallelism on the same side of the plane of the sheet, producing a series of strips as shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 10.

The third step in th manufacture of the lath is to form on either side of the sheet, or on one side if desired, a U-shaped rib for engaging with the next sheet when the sheets are placed on a wall to receive plaster. The means for forming the U-shaped ribs are shown in Fig. 4 and consist of rolls 14 and 15, provided respectively with a tongue 16 engaging with a groove 17. The action of these rolls 14 and 15 is to provide a rib of the same shape as the groove 17, with an open base portion. Beyond these rolls 14 and 15 are mounted guides over which the ribs pass. The sides of the ribs then pass against rollers 20 disposed in such relation as to compress the base of the rib (see Fig. 8) so that it is narrower than the top. In this way it is possible to produce a rib that will resiliently interlock with another rib to make a joint that will be made permanent when cementitious material is introduced into the rib. It will be understood however that my apparatus is not limited to the pro duction of any specific form of expanded metal nor to any particular shape of rib.

The formation of the ribs causes a trans verse stretching of the metal and thereby expands the same by pulling the strips 11 into position more nearly at right angles to the direction of movement of the material through the apparatus (see Fig. 7). The compression of the base of the ribs additionally stretches the metal sheet, the final position of the strips 11 being approximately transverse, with the two parts of each strip lying in difi'erent planes at approximately right angles, and the head or center of the strip lying in still another plane. (See Fig. 8.)

It will be understood of course that strips of other shapes may be cut in the sheet if desired, and I have only shown the present precise out as illustrated, of the number of such cuts that may be used, it being only necessary to change the rolls 1 to produce any desired cut. The operation of the present machine is continuous and the sheets do not have to be handled from the time they are first passed between the rolls 1 until they are removed as finished metal lath from the rolls 3, thus effecting a considerable saving over the present method of manufacturing metal lath.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and dis tinctly claim as my invention l. In a machine of the character described,

the combination of .a plurality of cooperative rolls provided with inter-engaging teeth adapted to cut a sheet of metal passed therebetween into a series of strips which project alternately to either side of the plane of the sheet, and a plurality of other cooperative rolls adapted to receive the sheet from said first-named rolls and to force such projecting strips into parallelism on the same side of the plane of the sheet.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a plurality of cooperative rolls provided with inter-engaging teeth adapted to out a sheet of metal passed therebetween into a-series of strips which project alternately. to either side ofthe plane of the sheet, and a plurality of V-shaped cooperative rolls adapted to receive the sheet from said first-named rolls and to force'such projecting strips into parallelism on the same side of the plane of the sheet.

3. In a machine of the character described,

alternately to either side of the plane of the sheet, a plurality of other cooperative rolls adapted to receive the sheet from said first-named rolls and to force such projecting strips into parallelism on the same side of the plane of the sheet, and means for stretching the sheet transversely, to expand such slit portions and increase the width of the sheet.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a plurality of cooperative rolls provided with inter-engaging teeth adapted to cut a sheet of metal passed there between into a series of strips which project alternately to either side of the plane of the sheet, a plurality of other cooperative rolls adapted to receive the sheet from said between into a series of strips which project alternately to either side of the plane of the sheet, a plurality of other cooperative rolls adapted to receive the sheet from said first-named rolls and to force such projecting strips into-parallelism on the same side of the plane of the sheet, and means including guides and rollers adapted to receive the sheet from said second rolls and form a U-shaped rib on one side of the slit portion of the sheet thereby stretching the sheet transversely and increasing the Width of the same.

Signed by me, this 1st day of March, 1916. 

